Belt wrapper



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BELT WRAPPER Filed May 10, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F|E.1. /4 a 5 ATOM/v 2 10/976,

E. T. LORIG BELT WRAPPER May 21, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 10, 1954 mN hwwm hwenim: .ZW/A/ I Z GA /6,

BELT WRAPPER Edwin T. Lorig, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application May 10, 1954, Serial No. 428,542 4 Claims. (Cl. 242-78) This invention relates to strip coiling apparatus and more particularly to coiling apparatus utilizing a belt wrapper which is a well known device for guiding the leading end of an oncoming strip onto a rotating windmg reel and holding it against the reel until several wraps have been wound and have developed sufilcient frictional engagement to prevent slipping of the strip under the winding tension. Such belt wrappers are disclosed in the patents to Kenworthy No. 1,282,236, dated October 22, 1918, Klein No. 2,172,616, dated September 12, 1939 and Beard No. 2,262,160, dated November 11, 1941 and in the copending application to Lorig and Orr, Serial No. 378,052, filed September 2, 1953. The belts in the belt wrappers disclosed in the above mentioned patent-s cannot be held in alignment so that they are driven into the machine housing with resultant damage to the belt edges. Such misalignment also results in defective coiling of the strip. The belt wrapper disclosed in the Lorig and Orr application operates satisfactorily but requires the use of a shaped belt which is more expensive than the ordinary flat belt.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a belt wrapper utilizing a flat belt which is kept in alignment on its supporting rolls so as to eliminate the difiiculties mentioned above.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a belt wrapper;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view taken on the line IIII of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view, similar to Figure 2, showing the belt in retracted position away from the winding drum;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the belt showing a roll support therefor;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the belt showing a roll support at a different position.

Referring more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, reference numerals 2 and 3 indicate the housings of a 4-high rolling mill, 5 and 6 represent the working rolls and backing-up rolls, respectively, of the mill, and 7 represents an idling roll interposed between the exit side of the working rolls 5 and the winding drum or reel 8. Conventional means for driving this winding drum are designated generally as 9.

Associated with the winding drum or coiler 8 is a strip-wrapping mechanism or belt-wrapper 10. The winding drum and the strip-winding apparatus are arranged along the center line of the mill with which they are associated. This wrapping apparatus is movable into and out of wrapping engagement with the winding drum 8 by means of a piston rod 11, attached to a piston movable in cylinder 12, which cylinder may be operated by fluid such as air or water. The operating connections for the cylinder are not shown. The strip-wrapping apparatus may be of any usual type and is so arranged that the longitudinal axis of the apparatus is along the longitudinal axes of the rolling mill and coiler with which States Patent 0 2,792,996 Patented May 21, 1957 the apparatus is associated. The belt wrapper consists of two spaced apart side plates 13 on which are mounted links 14 and 15 controlled by springs 16. Links 14 are rotatably secured to plates 13 at 17 and to links 15 at 18. Midway of their length, the links 15 are joined by a cross member 19 trunnioned to the links so that the member 19 can rotate about its longitudinal axis. A connecting plate 20 is secured between the side plates 13. The springs 16 are interposed between meinber 19 and plate 20 and the action of the springs against the member 19 tends to rotate the link 15 clockwise about joint 18. Rotatably secured between the lower ends of links 15 is a roller or pulley 21 which is constrained to move in a straight line by means of member 22, which is slidably received in track 23 secured between plates 13. Rotatably secured between plates 13 in fixed position are rollers or pulleys 24, 25 and 26. Journaled between plates 13, preferably on the same centers as pulley 26 are links 27 which carry wrapping rollers 28 and 29 rotatably secured thereto. Each link 27 can be rotated around its point of attachment to plate 13. A fiat lap belt 30, which may be of rubber and fabric construction, passes around rollers 21, 24, 25, 26, 28 and 29, as shown particularly in Figures 2 and 3. It will be observed that under the action of springs 16, exerted through linkage 14, 15 and the weight of link 27 and associated rollers 28 and 29, the tensioning roller 21 will cause the belt 30 to assume the position shown in Figure 3 when there is no other force exerted against belt 30. When the belt is moved against reel 8, tensioning pulley 21 wil be moved to the right, as shown in Figure 2, springs 16 will be compressed, and links 27 and associated pulleys 28 and 29 will assume the upright position shown in Figure 2. The belt is then in position for causing the strip to be wrapped around the reel 8.

The supporting plates 13 are mounted on a carriage 31 which is moved back and forth along a track 32 by the movement of piston rod 11. Movement of supporting plates or frame 13 back and forth will cause the belt to move out of and into position for wrapping the strip around the reel 8. The wrapping position is shown in Figure 2 and the non-wrapping position in Figure 3. The structure so far described, except for details of the belt and supporting belt, is that shown in Klein Patent No. 2,172,616.

As shown in Figure 4 pulleys 24 and 28 are self-centering pulleys of the type shown in the patent to Lorig No. 2,592,581, dated April 15, 1952. This pulley consists of a shaft 34 supported in spaced apart bearings 36 and a sleeve section 38 made of rubber or rubber-like material. The sleeve 38 is provided with a central circumferential groove 40 and has a plurality of flexible laminations 42 on its outer periphery arranged on both sides of the transverse central groove 40 with the laminations being inclined radially toward the axis of the roll away from the transverse central plane. The laminations 42 may be provided by means of slits or slots extending around the periphery of the roll surface. The slit or slots may be formed by removing part of the rubber as at 44, in the manner shown in my above mentioned patent or by slitting the rubber as shown in my copending application, Serial No. 380,646, filed September 17, 1953. Narrow slots may be provided between wide slots or all the slots may be wide or narrow. In any case, the roll will function to center the belt as it passes thereov'er. The belt supporting surface 4-6 of the rolls 24 and 28 is preferably cylindrical and of substantially less width than the width ofthe belt 30. In place of the self-centering roll shown, other self-centering rolls of the type shown in the patents to Lorig Nos. 2,593,157 and 2,593,158, both dated April 15, 1952, may be used. The self-centering rolls of each type disclosed above have a pair of axially opposed substantially identical roll sections, and means for causing each section to rotate at the same angular velocity with the peripheries of said section being so arranged with respect to each other that forces exerted on the belt have a component from the object engaging surface of each section directed along the axis of each section toward the adjacent end of the section. Pulleys 21, 25 and 29 are constructed as shown in Figure 5. As there shown, each pulley consists of a shaft 48 supported in spaced apart bearings 50 and a roll body having a cylindrical strip supporting surface 52 of substantially less width than the width, of the belt 30. Instead of the roll 28 being self-centering as shown in Figure 4, it may be a plain cylindrical narrow bodied pulley as shown in Figure. 5.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When it is desired to coil thev strip S, the belt wrapper is moved into the position shown in FigureZ by movement of piston, rod 11 to the right and the strip S is passed over the idling roll 7 between belt 30 and reel 8, the reel 8 rotating counterclockwise as shown in Figure 2. Strip S is then held between belt 30 on the outside of the reel 8 until. several turns have been made on the reel. whereupon the wrapping apparatus is moved by means of piston rod 11 to the position shown in Figure 3 where it is wholly out of engagement with the reel. The rolls 24- and 28, if it is a. self-centering roll, keep the belt 30 centered because of their inherent built-in centering ability. Furthermore, the overhanging edges of the belt 3!) on the narrow-bodied rolls tend to cause the belt center pass line to become closely balanced on the transverse center lines of all the narrow-bodied rolls because of better weight distribution on the rolls. Any lateral movement of the belt will increase the weight of the overhanging portion of the belt on the proper side to cause increased pressure on the proper end of the narrow-bodied rolls to maintain the belt on center.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim: I

1. Strip coiling apparatu comprising a reel on which the strip is to be coiled, and a beltwrapper movable into and out of cooperative relationship with the reel for wrapping the strip around the reel at the beginning of the coiling operation; said belt wrapper including a plurality of spaced apart pulleys, spaced arms supporting one of said pulleys at the ends thereof, means for pivotally supporting said arms, said arms and said last named pulley being movable about said last named means into and out of operative engagement with said reel, and an endless fiat belt passing around said pulleys, a plurality of said pulleys having a cylindrical belt supporting surface of substantially less width than the width of the belt so that the belt overhangs the edges thereof.

2. Strip coiling apparatus according to claim 1 in which i at least one of said pulleys is an automatic centering roll having a pair of axially opposed substantially identical roll sections, said sections rotating at the same angular velocity, the peripheries of said sections being so arranged with respect to each other that forces exerted on the belt have a component from the object engaging surface of each section directed along the axis of each section toward the adjacent end of the section.

3. Strip coiling apparatus comprising a reel on which the strip is to be coiled, and, a belt wrapper movable into and out of cooperative relationship with the reel for wrapping the strip around the reel at the beginning of the coiling operation; said belt wrapper including a plurality of spaced apart pulleys, spaced arms supporting one of said pulleys at the ends thereof, means for pivotally supporting said arms, said arms and said last named pulley being movable about said last named means into and out of operative engagement with said reel, a shaft for each of said pulleys, each shaft adapted to be supported at its ends, and an endless flat belt passing around said pulleys, the majority of said pulleys having a cylindrical belt supporting surface of substantially less width than the width of the belt so that the belt overhangs the edges thereof.

4. Strip coiling apparatus according to claim 3 in which at least one of said pulleys is an automatic centering roll having a pair of axially opposed substantially identical roll sections, said sections rotating at the same angular velocity, the peripheries of said sections being so arranged with respect to each other that forces exerted on the belt have a component from the object engaging surface of each section directed along the axis of each section toward the adjacent end of the section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,172,616 Klein Sept. 12, 1939 2,309,781 OBrien Feb. 2, 1943 2,592,581 Lorig Apr. 15, 1952 

